Sycamore Reservoir Trail

From the old Prison Camp this hike takes you up to Shreve Saddle (great views!), plunges down towards Bear Canyon and Sycamore Reservoir (constructed for the Prison Camp – no longer really a ‘reservoir’ but there is often water here), wanders along Sycamore Canyon and finally climbs to a saddle with views of the East Fork Trail and West Fork Trail. The Sycamore Reservoir Trail #39 is a well used trail – and for good reason! Just remember as you head down that you will have to hike back up…

This hike is great as out and back – or use the East Fork Trail or Bear Canyon Trail to create a longer hike.

[CueListWarning]

• 0.0 miles, 4850′: This hike starts from the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site. If the gate is open drive thru the campground area and use the parking area at the end of the road [Waypoint THGHC]. If the gate is closed park in the upper parking area and walk the road (this will add approximately 0.3 miles to your hike) [Waypoint THGHU].
• A short connector trail leaves from the south side of the parking loop between the last small parking area and a large parking pull out. The connector will take you up to a large trail sign for the Molino Basin Trail [Waypoint MB07]. Turn right onto the Molino Basin Trail.
• 0.2 miles, 4850′: Pass the signed junction with the Soldier Trail [Waypoint SO-MB] and cross a wash near an old wall. Continue towards the Sycamore Reservoir Trail.
• 0.5 miles, 4850′: Pass the unmarked junction with the route to Point 4981 Above Hairpin Turn [Waypoint J MB P4981] and continue along the wash – eventually the trail leaves the wash [Waypoint MB08] and climbs to Shreve Saddle.
• 1.1 miles, 5000′: Shreve Saddle! Enjoy the great views – Shreve Saddle is named for Forrest Shreve – a botanist who moved to Tucson in 1908 and worked at the Carnegie Institution’s Desert Laboratory. At Shreve Saddle the Molino Basin Trail ends and the Sycamore Reservoir Trail begins as you enter the Pusch Ridge Wilderness (Note: locals will often refer to this entire hike as “the Sycamore Reservoir Trail”…) [Waypoint SR01].
• 1.2 miles, 5000′: Continue downhill from Shreve Saddle – be careful to stay on the main trail, an older/unofficial trail leaves to the right not far from the saddle (the unofficial trail will rejoin the main trail but it is better to use the main/official trail) [Waypoint SR02].
• 2.0 miles, 4600′: An older/unofficial trail comes in just before the final descent into the Reservoir area [Waypoint SR03].
• 2.2 miles, 4500′: At the bottom of a steep hill the vegetation becomes thicker – a trail sign helps point the way – a small spur opposite the trail sign leads to the old dam (worth a visit – be careful on the old structure…). There is a great picture in Look to the Mountains, An in-depth look into the lives and times of the people who shaped the history of the Catalina Mountains that shows the reservoir filled with water and the building on the east side of the dam (for years I assumed that the concrete platform on the east side of the dam had always been open like it is now – what a surprise to see the building!). [Waypoint SR04]
• 3.1 miles, 4500′: Unsigned junction with the Bear Canyon Shortcut Trail (often marked with a rather large cairn) [Waypoint SR-BRS].
• 3.5 miles, 4600′: The Sycamore Trail ends at a signed junction with the East Fork Trail and the Bear Canyon Trail [Waypoint SR-BR-EF]. From here you can continue onto other trails or re-trace your path back to the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site.

• [MapGreenTrailsCatalina]
• [MapSahcCatalina]

• HikeArizona
• Chaoscanyon
• Pirate Girl’s Triathlon Adventures – Merry Christmas from the AZ Trail!
• Letterboxing North America – Sycamore Reservoir Trail Series
• Becoming Is Superior to Being – Hiking The Sycamore Reservoir Trail From The Gordon Kiyoshi Hirabayashi Recreational Area
• Arizona Trail Passage Information
• Coronado National Forest – Sycamore Reservoir Trail #39
• Summit Hut – Trail Talk Blog – Sycamore Reservoir Trail
• (Printed Book) Tucson Hiking Guide, Betty Leavengood
• [GuideYellowBook]

2014 September Prison Camp to Sabino Canyon

2014 April Camping Near Sycamore Reservoir

2013 October Prison Camp to Sabino Canyon

2012 December Sycamore Reservoir, Bear Canyon Shortcut, Bear Canyon

2011 September Sycamore Reservoir

• 2017/8/15 – HikeLemmon posts added to Resources
• 2017/8/6 – Img Srcset update
• 2015/6/1 – Added information about removal of the AZ Trail sign and new Shreve Saddle picture, fixed several typos, rewrote several passages, small touch ups to pdf map
• 2015/2/13 – Updated GPX with Google elevation information and smoothed results, added new elevation profile
• 2014/11/27 – Updated cue list text, slight tweaks to GPS file, re-worked map, added new pictures and took out some older pictures.
• 2014/9/23 – Added downloadable PDF Map, small changes to GPS file waypoint names
• 2014/6/27 – Waypoints to DEM elevation.
• 2014/6/26 – Cleaned up track name in GPX, added several new pictures (Snow and Night) and updated format
• 2014/4/2 – Updated Hiking notes and GPX with several waypoint from the Molino Basin Trail update.
• 2014/3/28 – Added brief info on Forrest Shreve
• 2014/3/20 – Updated with mileage and elevation, reworked waypoint info, updated map and included waypoint names,
• 2014/3/10 – Move to WordPress, add elevation profile
• 2014/1/28 – Format update, new pictures, driving directions.